Installation of the Pastor of Saint Paul VI Parish, Panama Pacific

Sunday, December 14, Third Sunday of Advent. After nine months in Panama, we have had the joy of visiting many parish communities to collaborate and share the rich faith of the Panamanian people. This time has been an opportunity for us to get to know, love, and be captivated by Panamanian culture, which has allowed us to say yes to the call to assume pastoral care in this multicultural parish.

On September 14 of this year, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father Quynh Hoang Van, C.S., was appointed Pastor of Saint Paul VI Parish, and the Scalabrinian Congregation was entrusted with the pastoral care of the parish as a new mission. This appointment was formally celebrated and confirmed through the Rite of Installation, held on December 14 within the context of Gaudete Sunday. We firmly believe that this was not by chance, but a true divine intervention, an expression of God’s divine Providence that guides our mission.

This celebration was presided over by Bishop José Domingo Ulloa and was attended by our Provincial Superior, Father Horecio Carlos Anklan, C.S., as well as concelebrated by more than ten priests. Undoubtedly, this event marks a historic moment for the Scalabrinian presence and mission in Panama.

In his homily, Bishop José Domingo Ulloa emphasized the importance of building communion within the parish community, illuminated by the strength of the Scalabrinian charism: a Church that walks with those who are passing through, with those seeking a home, with the poor and marginalized. Wherever there is welcome, closeness, and mercy, the Kingdom of God is present.

Likewise, Father Carlos, in his opening remarks to the parish community, expressed his desire that this parish have a truly Scalabrinian character, becoming a missionary laboratory at the service of the migrants and seafarers of Panama.